H4119 H4119
bride-price, marriage payment given to bride's family
A noun denoting the purchase price or bride-price paid to the family of a bride. This was the customary payment a man gave to a woman's father to secure her as his wife in ancient Near Eastern culture. Exodus 22:16 refers to 'the bride-price of virgins' in legislation about seduction. Genesis 34:12 has Shechem offering to pay any amount of bride-price for Dinah. Saul demanded a dangerous bride-price from David for Michal (1 Samuel 18:25). The term reflects ancient marriage customs involving family-to-family economic transactions.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Multilingual evidence consistently identifies the marriage payment: Spanish 'dote, precio-de-novia' (dowry, bride-price), French 'bride-prix.' Exodus 22:17 establishes the legal standard of the virgins' bride-price. Genesis 34:12 shows Shechem willing to pay any amount after violating Dinah. Most notably, 1 Samuel 18:25 records Saul's deadly bride-price demand of 100 Philistine foreskins, attempting to arrange David's death while appearing to honor custom. 3×
AR["بِـ-مَهْرٍ", "كَ-مَهرِ", "مَهْرًا"]·ben["কন্যামূল্যের-মতো", "পণে", "যৌতুক"]·DE["Brautpreis", "gemaess-zu-bride-price-von", "in-bride-price"]·EN["according-to-bride-price-of", "bride-price", "in-bride-price"]·FR["bride-prix", "dans-bride-price", "selon-le-prix-de-la-fiancée"]·heb["ב-מוהר", "כ-מוהר", "מהר"]·HI["जैसा-दहेज", "दहेज", "महर-मेइन"]·ID["dalam-mas-kawin", "mas-kawin", "sesuai-mas kawin"]·IT["bride-price", "in-sposa-prezzo", "secondo-a-bride-price-di"]·jav["ing-mas-kawin", "mas-kawin", "miturut-mas-kawin"]·KO["신부값과", "신부값에-", "에-따라"]·PT["como-dote-de", "dote", "em-dote"]·RU["в-выкупе", "выкуп", "как-выкуп"]·ES["conforme-a-dote-de", "dote", "en-precio-de-novia"]·SW["bei", "kama-mahari", "kwa-mahari"]·TR["başlık-parası", "başlık-parasına-göre"]·urd["مہر", "مہر-کی", "مہر-کے-برابر"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מֹ֫הַר n.m. purchase-price of wife (NH id.; Arabic مَهْرٌ RSK 78 f. Proph. iv. n. 13 Nö l.c. StaGesch. i. 381 Dr Dt 22:23 and reff.; Aramaic מוֹהֲרָא, ܡܰܗܪܳܐ );—abs. מ׳ Gn 34:12 (J; ‖ מַתָּן) 1 S 18:25; cstr. מֹהַר הַבְּתוּלֹת Ex 22:16 (E).